The Jiufotang Formation (Chinese: 九佛堂组; pinyin: jiǔfótáng zǔ) is an Early Cretaceous geological formation in Chaoyang, Liaoning which has yielded fossils of feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, pterosaurs, and other organisms (see Jehol Biota). It is a member of the Jehol group. The exact age of the Jiufotang has been debated for years, with estimates ranging from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. New uranium-lead dates reveal the formation is deposited in the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous.[2] Fossils of Microraptor and Jeholornis are from the Jiufotang.[3]
| Jiufotang Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Aptian ~ | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Jehol Group |
| Sub-units | Shangheshou & Meileyingzi Beds |
| Underlies | Fuxin & Shahai Formations |
| Overlies | Yixian Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Mudstone |
| Other | Sandstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 41°12′N 119°24′E / 41.2°N 119.4°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 44°24′N 119°30′E / 44.4°N 119.5°E |
| Region | Liaoning |
| Country |  China |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Jiufotang, Pingfangzi, Liaoning |
| Named by | Ryuji Endo |
| Year defined | 1934[1] |
  Jiufotang Formation (China)  Jiufotang Formation (Liaoning) | |
Fossil content
Choristoderans
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philydrosaurus | P. proseilus | Monjurosuchid | |||
| Ikechosaurus | I. pijiagouensis | Simoedosaurid | |||
| Liaoxisaurus | L. chaoyangensis | Simoedosaurid | |||
| Hyphalosaurus | H. baitaigouensis[4] | Hyphalosaurid |
Fish
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caeruleum | C. miraculum[5] | Weichang | A lamprey | ||
| C. gracilis[6] | Weichang | A lamprey | |||
| Jinanichthys | J. longicephalus | An osteoglossomorph | |||
| Lycoptera | L. davidi | An osteoglossomorph |  | ||
| Peipiaosteus | P. pani | A fish related to sturgeons | |||
| Protopsephurus | P. liui | A paddlefish | |||
| Sinamia | S. zdanskyi | An amiiform |  |
Mammaliamorphs
Several mammaliamorph specimens have been found from the Jiufotang, but only a few have been formally described and named.
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cokotherium | C. jiufotangensis[7] | Partial skeleton | A eutherian | ||
| Fossiomanus | F. sinensis[8] | A nearly complete skeleton | A tritylodontid cynodont, likely the youngest known non-mammalian synapsid | ||
| Liaoconodon | L. hui[9] | A nearly complete skeleton | A eutriconodont | ||
| Unnamed mammal | Unnamed | Partial remains including a foot and fragments of the skull | A mammal similar to Eomaia and Sinodelphys from the Yixian Formation. Found as stomach contents of Microraptor zhaoianus. |
Ornithischians
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C. chaoyangensis[10] | Liaoning | A nearly complete skeleton missing only the distal portion of the caudal series. | A basal ankylosaurid, sister taxon to Liaoningosaurus.[10] |  | ||
| Liaoningosaurus[11] | L. paradoxus[11] |  | ||||
Meileyingzi Bed | "[Four] individuals, [two] complete skulls."[12] | A ceratopsian. |   | |||
Shangheshou and Meileyingzi Beds |
Pterosaurs
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C. zhangi | A chaoyangopterid[13] |     | ||||
E. liaoxiensis | A chaoyangopterid[13] | |||||
F. youngi | Jianshangou Bed | A boreopterid | ||||
| Forfexopterus | F. jeholensis | A ctenochasmatid | ||||
G. jingangshanensis | Jingangshan Bed | A ctenochasmatid | ||||
| Guidraco | G. venator | |||||
| Hongshanopterus | H. lacustris | An istiodactylid | ||||
| Huaxiadraco | H. corollatus | Multiple specimens | A tapejarid[15] | |||
"H." benxiensis | A tapejarid; synonymized with Huaxiadraco in 2023 | |||||
| Ikrandraco | I. avatar | |||||
J. edentus | A chaoyangopterid[13] | |||||
L. gui | ||||||
L. brachyognathus | An istiodactylid[13] | |||||
L. jennyae | ||||||
| Meilifeilong | M. youhao | Jianchang | A nearly complete skeleton and a partial skull | A chaoyangopterid[16] | ||
N. crypticus | A tapejaromorph; previously and still occasionally thought to be a tapejarid. Most likely a juvenile, hence small size. | |||||
N. ignaciobritoi | An istiodactylid[13] | |||||
| Pangupterus | P. liui | A pterodactyloid | ||||
S. chaoyangensis | A chaoyangopterid | |||||
| S. sanyainus | A chaoyangopterid[17] | |||||
S. dongi | A tapejarid[13] | |||||
S. jii | Previously known as Huxiapterus jii | |||||
V. lamadongensis | An anurognathid |
Saurischians
A large titanosaur is present in the formation.[18]
Enantiornithines
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alethoalaornis | A. agitornis[19] |     | ||||
B. zhengi | "Partial skull [and] partial postcranium."[20] | A longipterygid | ||||
| Brevirostruavis | B. macrohyoideus | "an extremely elongate bony hyoid element (only slightly shorter than the skull), combined with a short cranial rostrum."[21] | An enantiornithine | |||
C. aberransis | An enantiornithine | |||||
C. caudatus | Nomen dubium[22] | |||||
C. yandica | "Partial skeleton."[20] | An enantiornithean | ||||
C. houi | A possible avisaurid | |||||
D. sentisorhinus | An enantiornithean | |||||
E. walkeri | "Partial skeleton."[20] | An enantiornithean | ||||
G. jiufotangensis | An enantiornithean | |||||
| Imparavis[23] | I. attenboroughi | Jianchang | An articulated, nearly complete specimen | |||
H. huji | An enantiornithean | |||||
L. sexdentoris | An enantiornithean | |||||
L. sanyanensis | An enantiornithean | |||||
L. chaoyangensis | A longipterygid | |||||
| Musivavis | M. amabilis | "A nearly complete and articulated skeleton preserved in a single slab."[24] | An euenantiornithean | |||
R. pani | A longipterygid | |||||
Shangyang | S. graciles | An enantiornithean | ||||
S. santensis | "Partial skull [and] many nearly complete postcranial skeletons."[25] | An enantiornithean | ||||
X. shenmi | An enantiornithean | |||||
Y. kompsosoura | An pengornithid |
Euornithines
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A. wui | Junior synonym of Yanornis martini[26] |   | ||||
C. beishanensis | "Partial skeleton."[25] | A basal euornithean | ||||
J. microdonta | A basal euornithean | |||||
M. dentatus | ||||||
P. chaoyangensis | ||||||
P. lii | ||||||
S. lii | A schizoourid with long, forked tail feathers | |||||
S. brevipectus | An ornithuromorph | |||||
S. linghensis | An ornithuromorph | |||||
Y. martini | An ornithuromorph | |||||
Y. grabaui | An ornithuromorph | |||||
Z. yangi | A basal euornithean[28] |
Non-ornithothoracean theropods
Color key
| Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chongmingia[29] | C. zhengi | A partial skeleton with preserved soft tissues | A jinguofortisid avialan |      | ||
C. sanctus | A primitive short-tailed avialan (pygostylian). Also present in the Yixian Formation | |||||
C. jianchangensis | ||||||
| Cratonavis[30] | C. zhui | Jianchang | A complete skeleton with preserved feathers | A jinguofortisid avialan | ||
D. cuhe | Nomen dubium, named from a forged artificially assembled specimen. | |||||
J. prima[3] | A jeholornithiform avialan, also present in the Yixian Formation[31] | |||||
J. palmapenis[32] | A jeholornithiform avialan | |||||
K. longicaudatus | "Nearly complete specimen".[33] | A jeholornithiform avialan | ||||
M. gui | Shangheshou Bed | Extremely common[18] | Could be synonym of Microraptor zhaoianus | |||
M. zhaoianus | Shangheshou Bed[18] | "At least [three] partial semiarticulated postcrania and several skulls."[34] Feathered integument is also preserved.[34] | A dromaeosaurid. | |||
N. rectusmim | A jeholornithiform avialan | |||||
O. sinousaorum | An omnivoropterygiform avialan | |||||
S. angustis | "Nearly complete skeleton without skull."[35] | An omnivoropterygiform, a primitive short-tailed avialan | ||||
S. chaoyangensis | ||||||
Shenshiornis primita[36] | An omnivoropterygiform avialan | |||||
S. yixianensis | ||||||
S. kazuoensis[37] | ||||||
| Wulong[38] | W. bohaiensis[38] | Chaoyang, Liaoning[38] | Complete articulated skeleton (D2933).[38] | A dromaeosaurid |
Crustaceans
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eosestheria | Eosestheria middendorfii[39] | A clam shrimp |
Plants
| Genus | Species | County | Member | Material | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czekanowskia | Czekanowskia rigida[40] | A member of Czekanowskiales, Dominant | ||||
| Ginkgo | Ginkgo digitata[40] | A member of Ginkgoales | ||||
| Elatocladus | Elatocladus pinnatus[40] | Conifer foliage | ||||
| Pityolepis | Pityolepis ovatus[40] | Conifer cone | ||||
| Leptostrobus | Leptostrobus sinensis[40] | A member of Czekanowksiales, occasionally misspelled "Leptosthrobus" | ||||
| Baiera | Baiera valida[40] | A member of Ginkgoales | ||||
| Baiera cf. gracilis[40] | ||||||
| Ginkgoites | Ginkgoites trancata[40] | A member of Ginkgoales, dominant | ||||
| Gingkgoites trancatus[40] | ||||||
| Podozamites | Podozamites sp.[39] | Conifer foliage | ||||
| Sphenopteris | Sphenopteris sp.[39] | Seed plant foliage |
See also
References
Further reading
- Wang, Y; Evans, SE (2011). "A gravid lizard from the Cretaceous of China and the early history of squamate viviparity". Naturwissenschaften. 98 (9): 739–743. Bibcode:2011NW.....98..739W. doi:10.1007/s00114-011-0820-1. PMID 21766177. S2CID 8017857.